Shades of Blue
by TrIcKy.D
Summary: With Naraku dead all Kouga has to do is honor his promise. Ayame's more then willing but the reluctant tribe leader isn't exactly ready to throw away his freedom and join her in holy matrimony. However he may not have a choice when unexpected problems arise that throw Kouga in the middle of a war threatening to plunge his entire existence into a world filled with blood and carnage.
1. Beyond the Mountain Pass

**_Chapter 1_**

_Beyond the Mountain Pass_

"Kouga wait up!"

"Please Kouga we can't keep up this pace any longer."

A scoff left his lips, strong legs bracing against the ground as they propelled his body off, sending him sailing through the air. Hair flowing about his shoulders he stared up towards the sky, his bangs brushing across his eyes. He felt the hard stone beneath his feet, each foot pressing against the rock ledge, scaling up the side of the mountain. He didn't bother looking behind him, he didn't have to. He knew both of those idiots were still stuck at the bottom, trying to find a path way around the small mountain.

The air bit at his skin, his breath rushing out of his mouth in a hot wave. The further up the mountain he could feel frost grip the rock sliding beneath his feet. He skid to a stop, reaching the mountain peak. He turned back, light blue eyes glancing down the rock, piercing through the clouds that gathered at the bottom.

Strange… he was never aware of these mountains before…

The echo of his name rose up the massif, bouncing against the hard surface back to his ears. He rolled his eyes, his fingertips brushing the frost that had accumulated upon his shoulders. His tail brushing off the tips of hair that froze under the icy conditions. Kouga glanced up, staring beyond the mount pass. His curiosity was peeked to say the least… He wondered what kind of demons could inhabit such a place…

"_KOUGA!"_

Blue eyes flew open wide as the mountain let out thunderous roar. He felt the slight tremor rip through the side, the rocks vibrating beneath his feet. He held his breath, afraid the slightest movement would cause the snow and sleet to shift… One moment passed before the mountain side finally settled causing a sigh of relief to fall from Kouga's lips, his fists tightening at his sides.

Those… MORONS!

Falling down the mountain was much quicker the scaling up it. For most of the way Kouga was able to slide down the ice that coated the rock wall, his feet slipping down until he felt the hot temperature increase, his feet alternating as he booked it down the mountain side. A flash flew through his memory, the simple dust tornado at his feet dulled in size. He snorted, the feel of power that once resided in his legs was nothing short of a memory now… Especially with the jewel completed…

He didn't even know where it was anymore… Where it resided… Perhaps it was for the best that way. Any demon that had come into contact with that cursed gem was forever cursed himself. There was nothing good to come out of that jewel, Kouga new that from experience…

Still he couldn't help but miss the intense feeling. The added jolt to his step, the extra force that propelled his legs… it was now just a dull ache. The hard realization of how heavy his legs actually were. That power was definitely addicting…

He used to be the fastest demon alive…

Two heads peeked out beyond the fog, their tired bodies stopping to rest against the side of the mountain, both panting and out of breath. Kouga came to a stop, his eyes narrowing in on both of them as he glared. "Don't ya be yelling in a mountain peak understood?! You trying to get my ass killed or what?!" He reprimanded, a vein pulsing in his head.

The two gathered together, both bowing his head at him. Ginta was the first one to speak. "We're sorry Kouga! We just couldn't find you and we were worried." Hakkaku piped in not long after that. "Plus you're just so fast Kouga we can never keep up to you."

Kouga just rolled his eyes, bopping them both on the heads before turning his back to them. "Well keep yer heads about ya. Loud noises ain't exactly welcome in a place like this. You idiots are going to bury this entire place in snow. And us along with it."

They became eerily quiet, their mouths forming a soft 'o' shape as they watched him. The truth dawning on them that Kouga was indeed right. The upper half of the mountain was covered in snow and ice. Enough to wipe them clean off the mountain. And in an instant that, that reality sunk in, the two were shivering like a bunch of morons.

"S-shouldn't we be getting back to the cave?"

Kouga rolled his eyes, his attention focused on a small little pathway that leads up into the mountain tops. That was interesting… He ignored them to walk closer and investigate.

"But Kouga what about the pack? We've been gone for a long time?!" They whined reluctantly following him. Kouga rolled his shoulders, waving them off with his hand. He had no interest in returning back to the pack at the moment. They had more than enough food, as well as protection; they could handle their own if anything mediocre came their way. And anything bigger than that, he'd be able to sense and lend a hand at a moment's notice.

"The pack will be fine. Will you two shut up and come take a look at this."

The inched forward to him, peeking around the wolf leader as they're eyes came upon the same pathway carved into the mountain. "What about it Kouga? Do ya think humans did it?" They asked.

"Y-you aren't suggesting we go in there are you?!"

Kouga walked closer to it, his feet jumping up onto the dirt, the elevation taking him slowly up the mountain. He looked up, taking notice that the pathway went deep into the mountain, being carved from the hard stone.

"There are no way humans made these pathways… They couldn't survive out here…" He frowned, taking another step towards it.

Hakkaku walked forwards as well, his eyes looking down along with Kougas. "You don't think that… Maybe Naraku…"

Ginta glared at Hakkaku, whacking him on the shoulder to stop his sentence. "Don't be stupid Hakkaku! Naraku's been dead for two years." His eyes shifted over to Kouga sneaking the look to his comrade. Hoping that Hakkaku would get his subtle hints.

"Oh… Right I remember… Of course there's no way it could be Naraku," he agreed, laughing a bit nervously.

Kouga scoffed, his eyes narrowing dangerously at the thought. "…I wouldn't put it passed that bastard… Naraku always had one life left. He always slipped away at the last possible second…" Kouga cursed under his breath. He hated every waking moment, knowing he left the fate of his arch enemy, to a lowly half-breed…

_Inuyasha…_

"I bet he let him get the fuck away…" He muttered, his feet crossing over the earth as he crept further along the path, the two idiots whispering amongst themselves. He could remember his encounter with Inuyasha, like it happened only minutes before him.

Although… he made an effort to avoid the hanyou at all costs. There wasn't a damn thing he wanted from Inuyasha… at all.

Naraku was dead… Kagome was gone… And that was all Kouga needed to know…

"Kouga… Let's go back…" Kouga blinked, turning back to the other two that had been following him. He arched an eyebrow before turning his face up towards the sky. He could see the light from the sun setting, disappearing into the wide blue sky. It would be night time soon. Going any further into the mountain probably wouldn't be the smartest thing.

Kouga sighed, his body turning as he began walking back down the path, finally giving the two what they wanted. "Alright… Let's go home. We can check this out later…"

They're expressions fell at the thought that they would be returning to this place. Kouga gave them a look, not being able to believe how much of a wuss they were. The two idiots grinned happily with their leader's decision as they followed him. Ginta appeared on his left, smirking at his friend.

"And here, we thought you were just avoiding Lady Ayame."

The tree appeared out of nowhere. Kouga's body slamming straight into its tall trunk, his eyes wide and locked on Gintas as his chest released a shallow breath. Ayame… She came down from her mountain and was waiting for him at his den…

"…He completely forgot…" Hakkaku concluded, staring at Kouga with a dead panned expression. Ginta soon mirrored the same look, sighing as he shook his head.

"Uh… heh… Y'know I've been thinkin…" Kouga took a step back, scratching the side of his cheek. "That… Why put off tomorrow what ya can do today! I'm gonna go explore that pathway!" He whipped around, shooting off like a bat out of hell before either of the two could say another word.

"… KOUGA?!"

**_~Tricky.D_**


	2. Broken Promises

_**Chapter 2**_

_Broken Promises_

Of course he wasn't there. Not that Ayame was the least bit surprised.

Instead the she-wolf leaned against the mouth of the cave, a thoughtful look gracing her features as she watched the droplets of water falling in front of her. The sound itself was soothing, touching the outer base of her ears, confronting her worried mind.

He knew she was coming. A frown crept onto her face at the thought. She had sent notice before arriving, just so he wouldn't give her grief about showing up without notice. And now she was here, and he was nowhere to be found.

Conveniently he was out patrolling the grounds with Ginta and Hakkaku.

She gave out a weak sigh, trying to fight the irritation she felt with him. She shouldn't think so little of him. That he would actually go out of his way to avoid her was an impolite accusation, she really should give Kouga the benefit of a doubt.

Still, she had known Kouga for much too long and wouldn't put such a discourteous act behind him.

"Honestly. All I want is his promise…" She muttered to herself, light green eyes looking out into the water. "He doesn't understand…"

In Ayame's opinion she had been more than fair; waiting for him to exact his revenge on the demon that so savagely took the lives of many of their people. She couldn't imagine seeing those wolves slaughtered, being covered in their blood, and her heart went out to Kouga in every possible way. It must have been so difficult for him.

She waited for him. Waited for him to complete what he needed to, to sort out all of his issues before she came down from the mountain, asking for his promise. The answer was always the same.

_It's not a good time Ayame._

_Just bash their heads together, they'll listen up._

She growled under her breath, her mind filled with conflicting emotions. There wasn't a single doubt in her mind; she knew what she felt for Kouga. It was beyond duty, beyond responsibility. She wanted to be with him. But now it was more than that…

They were running out of time.

Her grandfather, the elder chief of the clan was on his death bed. His one thousand years of ruling were slowly coming to an end. She could hear the roughness in his voice, the words he spoke to her having a permanent imprint on her brain. '_Time has gone by… the fighting has only increased inside the tribes… I fear if this goes on any longer…'_

They needed someone. Her grandfather could barely walk out of the cave; much less speak against a group of head strong wolves. The high counsel was conflicted; unsure of what action they could take. They fought as well. It seemed now wherever Ayame went there was always conflict…

She felt the pain grip her heart, knowing that very soon she would lose her precious grandfather. Something had to be done. Ayame believed in her heart, a new ruler, a strong ruler would be able to reunite the pack once more.

_Kouga…_

"Look Ayame. Kouga has returned!" A rather tall fellow touched her arm, gesturing wildly through the water, watching as three forms appeared from beyond the mountain. She blinked, instantly recognizing his stature, his long black hair swaying behind him as he walked towards her.

Even still, Ayame couldn't keep the small smile from gracing her features. She pushed through the water, the brunt of it catching against her pigtails. She leapt down, meeting the trio at the mouth of the cave, her eyes first going to his two comrade's, greeting them with a soft voice before turning to stare up at him.

"Kouga. It's been a while…" Even being next to him, she felt her chest swell. The air in her throat rolled up into a tight ball, her palms sweating a bit. She felt a bit small under his gaze, not that she would ever explain that to him. It was nice, to be in his presence once again…

"Not really," he muttered somewhat under his breath, his blue eyes falling upon her face. "You were just down a couple of months ago…"

"Well uh, yes I was but…" Her sentence dropped, eyes turning to Ginta and Hakkaku, silently asking for the two of them to be left alone. She had to give it to the boys; they caught on quick, a lot more quickly than Kouga.

"We will leave you two alone. Later Kouga," they excused themselves, ignoring Kouga's pleading look. They smirked, disappearing behind the blanket of water, leaving Kouga and Ayame alone.

"Ayame, why are you here again?" Kouga asked, running a hand through his bangs, an exasperated sigh leaving his lips. Although the question was pointless, he knew exactly why she was at his den.

"My grandfather. He's really sick Kouga. The healers say he doesn't have very much time left." Her gaze held onto his, her hands kept poised at her sides. "The high counsel is beside themselves. The fighting has just increased so much among the tribes. Food. Territory claims. It seems that none of them can come to an agreement anymore. Something has to be done."

Kouga growled, interrupting her before she had a chance to explain. "Are ya trying to tell me that a replacement is needed for the elder?! Now that the old mutt is too fragile some poor sap has gotta step up and take his job?! I certainly hope that you're not here to tell me that, that fucker is me?! Waste of a trip down the mountain if that's the case."

He pulled angrily away from her, his eyes hard and his mouth forming a thin line. He instantly regretted shouting at her, but he found it hard not to. She didn't understand the type of responsibility she was asking of him. Being a leader was one thing, but being responsible for the entire clan…

Kouga didn't think he wanted that.

"Kouga! Grandfather specifically asked for you and no one else! He believes you are strong and that you have what it takes to replace him!" Ayame could feel her own voice rising in volume as she spoke to him. How could he just turn his back on their kind? "He wants you to be his successor! Don't you understand what kind of honor tha-!?"

He cut her off, shaking his head. "So?! Make one of those high counsel ass wipes lead the clan. God only knows they've been after his job for years! "

"You would turn your back on us?!" She growled back at him, her fangs curling over her lips, feet digging into the grass as she raised her voice at him. "You would turn your back on your people?! Your family!?"

"I never asked for this!" Kouga snarled right back at her, his haunting blue eyes crashing with hers. "I never asked to be clan leader. I never asked for any of this!"

"YOU ASKED FOR ME!"

Kouga stopped, his ears tensing back, jaw dropping as the words fell from her lips. His expression was practically wiped clean off of his face, cobalt eyes blink widely, turning to stare at her. He could see her lip tense, almost as if the loud sound of her own voice shocked her. Her lips fell open, and for a moment Kouga thought she was going to apologize. She hesitated; her hands fell limply to her side, her voice rolling off her tongue in soft tone.

"That night… you asked for me, under the dark sky. You looked back into my eyes a-and…" She could feel her voice shaking a bit, her eyes dropping to the ground. "You asked to be with me, you wanted me as your wife. Don't say you don't remember, because I know you do."

Kouga was dumbfounded; his cheeks and jaw went slack, unable to form any kind of coherent sentences. He had no idea what he was supposed to say. His chest squeezed painfully, watching the emotions that flickered across her eyes. He never wanted to hurt her like this.

"Why did you say those things Kouga? If you weren't ever going to mean them why did you say those words to me?" She lifted her eyes sadly, her heart contorting in her chest. She gulped dryly, trying to choke down air into her lungs. "I mean, before you said that Kagome… you and her…"

"Stop, Ayame."

At the mention of her, Kouga's expression dropped. His eyes became blank, void of all emotion. He didn't want to think of her, to be reminded of her. "I. I don't know why I said those things to you. I'd take them back if I could."

"Kouga…" She always anticipated this, her claws digging into her palms, soft lime green eyes holding onto his gaze. "Tell me the truth. Don't avoid me. Just tell me. Please…?"

"Ayame… I'm not going to marry you. I'm sorry."

* * *

She shot through the forest like a bullet. Her basket had fallen to her feet, everything that she had gathered spilt onto the ground. She had no time to move back, no time to think about her situation. She only knew she had to run. To move as fast as her feet could take her, the forest, however, seemed unforgiving.

Everything was dark, the moon providing the only source of light in the area. Bouncing only slightly off the tops of the trees; highlighting certain branches. Dark, horror- filled brown eyes, glanced sporadically around, her chest constricting from the harsh inhale and exhale of breaths as she bolted through the trees. She gasped; the branches relentlessly cut her skin, tearing her clothes with their pointed edges.

But no matter what she did, it never seemed to be enough.

A sharp howl pierced the air, cutting through her ears like a blood curdling cry. She held in a scream, her body moving faster as the ground began to decline below her feet. Air lodged into her throat, her arms flailing about her trying desperately to reach onto a branch as the ground was slowly coming to an end. She neared the edge of the cliff, her fingertips digging into the bark of an overhead branch, her body swinging violently. She held on for her life, eyes shut tight, her heart beating in her chest.

The branch creaked holding her weight, her feet dangling in the air, she gasped, looking down below her. The forest seemed to connect to a mountain, sloping down to form a deep drop off. Fog covered the base, leaving the depth of the chasm undetermined. She turned back; light brown, tangled hair fell off her shoulders. The edge of the cliff was only a couple feet from her. She reached out with her foot, extending her weight. If angled properly, she could swing her body towards the ledge, and push her weight off the branch.

Another howl disrupted the still forest, this one, much louder than the last. She went numb, a shiver of terror traveling down her spine. Then the thought struck her. She could let go. Feel the bark slip between her fingertips, a scream escaping her throat. It would all be over then. It would be instant. Fast. Easy.

Tears poured down her cheeks, trailing along her jaw, the thought of death scared her. Her arms shook, her fingertips practically refusing to release. But she could hear it, the footsteps, cracking wood. The sound chilled her, and it was getting dangerously close, it was now or never. She had to make a decision and she had to make it soon.

With a soft prayer, her lips mouthing the words that would forgive her sin, her fingertips released the branch. She felt a rush of wind envelope her body, her eyes shutting tightly embracing her death.

A scream echoed through the forest, a sharp pain shot through her wrist as she was jerked up, her body banging against the jagged edge of the bank. She felt cold, her hands struggling against whatever had bound her.

No, she had been so close.

"Tsk tsk, you gave us quite the chase little _human." _The voice hushed into her ear, lavished in a deathly tone that no human could ever possess. The tears came out faster, her body thrashing into the hold he had on her, doing whatever she could to get away from it.

She was thrown against the trunk of a tree, choking on a sob she felt her shoulder crack; an intense pain shooting up her body. She gasped, her hand going towards her arm as she tried to scramble away. A dark brown, matted creature stepped forward, its eyes narrowed with a blood lust, fangs bared as it snarled viciously at her. She jerked back, her body bumping against what felt like two legs. She gripped her body tightly, her head very slowly turning to glance up at the figure standing behind her.

It looked like a human man, but she knew better.

His hand reached down and roughly grabbed a lock of her hair, pulling her off of her feet. She caught his eyes; dark golden iris's narrowed, a tight smirk crossing his face. "Tch, suppose that's something I ain't ever going to understand about your kind: Why you fucking run when you know you're going to be caught anyway." A chuckle passed through his lips, fear swelling in her eyes.

"Sorry. It's nothing personal sweetheart."

He threw her into his pack, his tail swiping over the backs of his legs as he watched his wolves bite down into her flesh, pulling it clean off her bones, her scream echoing in the distilled forest. The scent of blood protruded his senses, his chest inhaling as a sweet sigh crossed his lips. He looked back, towards the moon; the sounds of her crushing bones surrounded him. The wolf smirked, fangs hovering over his bottom lip.

With the blood in the air he wouldn't have to wait long.

They will come.

**_~ Tricky.D_**


End file.
